Beach access routes allow pedestrians to get across the
beach so they can play, swim, or participate in other beachrelated
activities. A beach access route is a continuous unobstructed
path that crosses the surface of the beach and provides
pedestrian access to the water. Section 6 of FSORAG explains
the requirements for beach access routes. Because beach
access routes and outdoor recreation access routes perform
similar functions, the requirements are similar.

Beach access routes must extend from an outdoor recreation
access route or other beach entry point to the high tide
level at tidal beaches, mean high water level at river beaches,
and the normal recreation water level at lake, pond, and reservoir
beaches.

Beach access routes are required when dune crossings,
stairways, or ramps leading from boardwalks to the beach
are constructed or altered; when parking facilities, pedestrian
routes, toilet facilities or bathing facilities that serve
the beach are constructed or altered; or when a beach nourishment
project is undertaken. They must coincide with or
be located in the same area as other pedestrian access to the
beach. Employ universal design wherever possible so that all
visitors use the same route to get to the water (figure 116).

Figure 116—Everybody ought to be able to get to
the beach.

When beach access routes are required, provide them for
each half mile of managed shoreline. However, the number
of beach access routes doesn't have to exceed the number of
pedestrian beach access points that are provided. Beach access
routes are not required where pedestrian access to the beach is
not allowed. Beach access routes associated with beach nourishment
projects are only required up to an expenditure of 20
percent of the costs of the beach nourishment project.

Removable beach access routes can be moved to a protected
storage area during storms and other periods when the
routes are subject to damage. Removable beach access routes
are not required to comply with the slope and resting interval
technical requirements. Use temporary beach access route
surfaces as necessary where restrictive permits are required
in coastal and shoreline areas where seasonal tides or high
flows would remove a permanent structure, or in areas where
the beach erodes or builds up each season, quickly turning a
permanent beach access route into a hazard. Vehicular access
or access provided by an assistive device isn't an acceptable
temporary beach access route.

Design Tip

Extend beach access routes to a
reasonable point on the beach.

Access to the water at tidal beaches will vary considerably
depending on geographic locations because
the difference between low and high tides will vary
from place to place. For example, a beach in Alaska
may experience tidal differences of up to 30 feet (9
meters); beaches in Florida will have much smaller
differences between the tides. The high tide mark is a
reasonable location to stop constructed features; they
are much more likely to wash out below this point.
The same general guidance applies to mean high water
level at rivers and the normal recreation water level at
lakes.

In some locations, it may make sense to continue
the beach access route below the mean high water
level or normal recreation water level. In locations
with significant variations in water level through the
recreation season, visitors appreciate extended access
routes where they can be constructed (figure 117).

Figure 117—Some beach access routes are
partly
inundated every year.

Exceptions to the Guidelines That Apply to Beach
Access Routes

When a condition for an exception prohibits full compliance
with a specific technical requirement on a portion
of a beach access route, that portion of the beach access
route must still comply with the requirement to the extent
practicable. (See "Using the Conditions for an Exception in
FSORAG.") Document the reason that full compliance wasn't
achieved and file it with the project records for the construction
or alteration project.

Notifying the U.S. Access Board About Exemptions

Infrequently, an entire beach access route must be
exempted from the technical requirements because extreme
or numerous conditions for exemptions make it impractical
to provide a route that meets the requirements. In these
cases, document the reason for the exemption, the date of
the decision, and the names of the individuals who made
the decision. Retain documentation with the records for the
construction or alteration project. Notify the U.S. Access
Board of the determination and the reason for that decision.
Contact information for the U.S. Access Board is available at http://www.access-board.gov/

A beach access route must have a firm, stable surface,
and have a clear tread width of 60 inches (1,525 millimeters)
minimum.

Slopes and Resting Intervals for Beach Access
Routes

Running slope, also referred to as "grade," is the lengthwise
slope of a beach access route, parallel to the direction
of travel. Sections of beach access route of any length are
allowed to have a running slope ratio of up to 1:20 (5 percent
grade) (see figure 37). Steeper terrain may make this
slope difficult to achieve. Many visitors can negotiate steeper
slopes for short distances, so running slopes up to 1:12 (8.33
percent) are permitted for up to 50 feet (15 meters), and running
slopes of up to 1:10 (10 percent) are permitted for up to
30 feet (9 meters). To ensure that the beach access route isn't
designed as a series of steep segments, no more than 15 percent
of the total length of the beach access route may exceed
a slope of 1:12 (8.33 percent), as shown in table 4.

Table 4—Beach access route running slope and segment length.

Running Slopes on Beach Access Routes

Maximum Length of Segment Between Resting Intervals

Steeper than

But not Steeper than

1:20 (5 percent)

1:12 (8.33 percent)

50 feet (15 meters)

1:12 (8.33 percent)

1:10 (10 percent)

30 feet (9 meters)

Cross slopes—the side-to-side slope of a beach access
route—are not allowed to exceed 1:33 (3 percent, see figure
37). When the surface is paved or is built with boards, the
cross slope is not allowed to be steeper than 1:48 (2 percent).

Resting intervals are relatively level areas that provide an
opportunity for people to catch their breath before continuing
along the beach access route. These intervals are required
between each segment of the beach access route any time
the running slope exceeds 1:20 (5 percent). A resting interval
must be at least 60 inches (1,525 millimeters) by 60 inches
(1,525 millimeters).

The slopes of a resting interval are not allowed to exceed
1:33 (3 percent) in any direction. When the surface is paved or is built with boards, the slope is not allowed to be steeper
than 1:48 (2 percent) in any direction.

Tread Obstacles on Beach Access Routes

Tread obstacles on a beach access route must not be
more than 1 inch (25 millimeters) high. When the surface of
the beach access route is paved or is built with boards, tread
obstacles must not be more than a half of an inch (13 millimeters)
high. Where possible, ensure obstacles on beach
access routes are separated by at least 48 inches (1,220 millimeters)
so people who use wheelchairs can maneuver around
the obstacles.

Openings in Beach Access Routes

Openings are gaps in the surface of a beach access route.
Gaps include spaces between the planks on a boardwalk and
drainage holes in temporary or permanent surfaces. Openings
that are big enough to allow wheels, cane or crutch tips,
or shoe heels to drop through or get stuck are hazards that
shouldn't exist in pedestrian routes. Openings up to a half of
an inch (13 millimeters) wide are permitted. Place elongated
openings more than a quarter of an inch wide with the long
dimension perpendicular or diagonal to the primary direction
of travel (see figure 44).

Protruding Objects on Beach Access Routes

Outdoor accessibility guidelines define protruding
objects as constructed features such as signs that extend
into the clear width area of a beach access route or resting
interval and are between 27 inches (685 millimeters)
and 80 inches (2,030 millimeters) above the travel surface.
Do not allow constructed features to extend more
than 4 inches (100 millimeters) into the clear width area
(see figure 45). Constructed features that extend into the
travel way of a beach access route from the side or from
overhead can be hazardous to people who are paying more
attention to their companions than the travel route, as well
as to people who are blind or have low vision.

Accessibility guidelines do not consider natural elements
such as tree branches and rock formations to be protruding
objects. Provide and maintain clearance from natural
elements around beach access routes in accordance with
your unit's standards; keep in mind overhanging hazards to
people who are blind or have low vision or are not focused
on the route ahead.

Elevated Dune Crossings

An dune crossing that is elevated or has a slope that exceeds
1:20 (5 percent) that is part of a beach access route must
have handrails and edge protection (figure 118). Locate
handrails continuously along both sides of the dune crossing
at a height of 34 inches (865 millimeters) to 38 inches
(965 millimeters) above the walking surface. Ensure the
handrails are easy to grip and comply with all the other
requirements in ABAAS, section 505. Provide a curb or
barrier directly under the handrail that would prevent a
2-inch (50-millimeter) sphere on, or up to 2 inches (50
millimeters) above, the dune crossing surface from rolling
under the handrail. The clear width of elevated dune crossings
may be narrower than the rest of the beach access
route, but must be at least 48 inches (1,220 millimeters).
Resting intervals are not required on elevated dune crossings.
Consider including resting intervals similar to those
for outdoor recreation access routes if the elevated crossing
is steeper than 1:20 (5 percent).

If gates or barriers are constructed to control access to
beach access routes, include openings wide enough to allow
hiker passage. Refer to the FSORAG for the technical provisions
for gates and barriers. These requirements are also explained
in "Getting From Here to There—Outdoor Recreation Access
Routes" of this guidebook.